Request for Second Opinion Denied. Why?

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We are trying to get a second opinion for my father. He is currently receiving chemo treatments for colon cancer (stage III). However, one of the institutes we’ve requested has denied us until he is off treatment. I understand they can’t interfere, but we are merely asking for a second opinion to make sure we are on the right path. If not, we want to try another approach. What can we do?

It’s unusual to turn down a request for a second opinion. Patients often seek second opinions, especially at major academic centers. This is not only to validate the treatment that has been suggested, but also to see if other therapies or clinical trials are available. The majority of clinical trials require that a patient be off their therapies for at least four months; however, this does not preclude an evaluation. If you had problems getting in to a particular hospital or medical center, it may simply be a factor of availability, and I would just attempt to contact another institution.

Colon cancer expert Dr. Saeed Sadeghi is a staff physician and an assistant clinical professor of medicine in the division of hematology and oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

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